Friday, January 9, 2015

Former Miami Dolphin, Rob Konrad swims 9 miles to shore after falling off boat: Report

Some retired NFL players wear their team's namesake on their sleeve but, in this case, maybe carries it on his fin.

Former Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad turned into a human Flipper after he swam nine miles back to shore after falling off his boat while fishing alone off the South Florida coast on Wednesday — and is OK.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that Konrad — who played for the Dolphins from 1999 to 2004 — had gone fishing by himself after being dropped off at a Boca Raton dock. Friends became concerned after he didn't meet them for dinner, and the Coast Guard later sent a helicopter to scour the Atlantic Ocean looking for him.

The Coast Guard said Konrad apparently fell off the 36-foot boat, which had been on auto pilot.

Unable to get back to the boat, Konrad began swimming toward shore. He made it some time after 4 a.m. Thursday and contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office — after surviving almost 10 hours of swimming in the chilly water.

Officials say the 38-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for possible hypothermia.

After playing four years at Syracuse, Konrad was drafted by the Dolphins in 1999, where he stayed for five years. And it sounds like he was born to be a Fish.